Takoradi, May 29, GNA - A Takoradi High Court on Tuesday remanded three persons for attempting to rob passengers on an Accra bound bus. They pleaded not guilty and would re-appear on June 4. They are Godfred Aggrey, 23, Salim Amin, 19 and Isaac Amanianmpong, aged 21.

Prosecuting, Assistant State Attorney Theophilos Y. Bediako-Mensah told the court that on October 11 last year, the accused persons boarded a Ford bus at the City Express bus terminal in Takoradi but their utterances drew suspicion from the passengers. They were drunk, wore earrings and discussed the plan for the operation in the Hausa language.

Mr. Bediako-Mensah said unknown to the accused persons some passengers understood the language and alerted the station management who informed the Takoradi Central Police.

The prosecutor said when bus took off, the driver told the passengers that they needed to use an alternative route since there was heavy traffic on the normal route but drove to the police station where a detachment of policemen were waiting for them.

Mr. Bediako-Mensah said when all the passengers were searched, a large quantity of razor blades, a mobile phone and several recharge chips were found on Godfred and Salim had a locally manufactured pistol on him. The prosecutor said a sharpened cutlass was retrieved from the trousers of Amaniampong but a fourth accomplice escaped. 29 May 07